Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test: Prabath Jayasuriya Spins Hosts to Thrilling Win in Series Opener

Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya starred as Sri Lanka sealed a 63-run win against New Zealand in the first of the two-Tests series at the Galle International Stadium in Galle on Monday (September 23).

Needing two wickets for victory and defending 68 runs on the ultimate day of the first Test, Jayasuriya completed a five-wicket haul, dismissing the two remaining Kiwi batters to help Sri Lanka seal victory inside the first half hour of play.

Jayasuriya first trapped the set Rachin Ravindra, who made a fighting 92, in the second over of the day's play, and then castled William O'Rourke for a duck in his very next over as New Zealand folded for 211, adding just 4 runs to their overnight score of 207/8.

For his figures of 9 for 204, Jayasuriya was awarded the player of the match. The spinner said he focusses on consistency and sticks to the basics during the post-match presentation ceremony.

"Normally I do my basic, stick to it. I didn't experiment with the game. I just concentrate on consistently bowling my line and length and that's how I took my wickets," Jayasuriya said at the presentation ceremony.

This is Sri Lanka's second successive Test win after the consolation victory over England last month. Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva revealed that win in England has boosted the team morale.

At stumps on day 4, Ravindra had given a slight hope for New Zealand and left the match in the balance with his lone battle, in which he saw partners perish. But could not carry his fight much longer on the final day of the Test.

Tom Blundell and Kane Williamson were the next highest scorers for the Blackcaps with 30 runs each. Apart from the aforementioned trio and Tom Latham, none of the other New Zealand batters got into double figures as spin took centre stage on the final two days.

Left-arm spinner Jayasuriya finished with figures of 5 for 68 in the fourth innings, and fell just short of a ten wicket haul in the match after claiming four wickets in the first innings of New Zealand.

Off-spinner Ramesh Mendis too claimed three wickets in each innings, while skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, who took one wicket in the final innings, had taken 2 wickets in the second innings of the Test.

Earlier, opting to bat first, Sri Lanka were put on the back foot after pacer O'Rourke (5 for 55) ran through the top order. But Kamindu Mendis (114) and Kusal Mendis (50) played crucial knocks to take the home side to 305 in the first innings.

In response, New Zealand rode on fifties from Latham (70), Williamson (55) and Daryl Mitchell (57) to take a first innings lead of 32 runs. Sri Lanka then responded through senior players to set a decent target in the fourth innings.

Dimuth Karunaratne (83), Dinesh Chandimal (61) and Angelo Mathews (50) scored fifties to take the hosts to 309 as New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel (6 for 90) claimed a fifer to keep the target below 300. O'Rourke also added to his first innings fifer with three wickets in the second innings.